H
ighland County commissioners Brad Roades, Terry Britton, and David Daniels approved a $275,000 real estate purchase in Hillsboro during their August 13 meeting. The property, located at 212 Hobart Drive, is the site of the former Schwan's facility and will be used for maintenance sheds.
Commissioners had discussed the need for storage facilities in January 2023, with Cierra Moore from the county's maintenance department proposing a large building to store tools and equipment. Instead of constructing a new building, the existing structure on the property will serve as a "maintenance shed and office space."
The purchase also has potential for a recycling area, which has been discussed by commissioners as a way to reduce illegal dumping and abuse of recycling bins in the county.
Commissioners also approved several other items during their meeting, including releasing a lien on a property that underwent a project through Highland County Community Action in 2017. The owners will pay $6,016 when they close on their house.
Additionally, commissioners agreed to extend a timeline for a Residential Public Infrastructure Grant project in Greenfield and approved an Ohio Department of Medicaid grant agreement among commissioners, the Ohio Department of Medicaid, and the county Family and Children First Council.
Ashleigh Willey announced plans for an upcoming heritage tree-planting ceremony as part of the America 250 celebration. The event will take place on September 26 at Liberty Park in Hillsboro and will feature the planting of 18 white oak trees, one for Highland County and one for each of its 17 townships.
Nicole Oberrecht announced that a bid opening for the engineer's truck barn project has been pushed back from August 13 to September 10 due to delays with an engineering consulting group. Gary Lewis spoke about the recent groundbreaking ceremony for Greenfield's $5.3 million Felson Park project, which is funded through the state's Appalachian Community Grant program.
Commissioners also made several other approvals, including releasing a lien on a property and declaring two office chairs as surplus property.
